Grand National 2017: Cheltenham Festival form

The Gold Cup is the obvious place to start – Many Clouds was sixth in that race before winning at Aintree – and when Minella Rocco stayed on strongly to snatch second on the line behind Sizing John, he went straight to the head of the Grand National betting. However, it wasn’t long before trainer Jonjo O’Neill ruled Minella Rocco out of a crack at Aintree this year, though the same connections’ More of That, who plugged on for a never-dangerous sixth, is on course for the National, even if his effort in the Gold Cup didn’t really advance his claims.

Saphir du Rheu, on the other hand, one place ahead of him in fifth, ran a cracker in the face of a stiff task and heads to Aintree in good heart where he’ll be well-in at the weights as he’s since been put up 6 lb by the handicapper.

Besides Saphir du Rheu, another National entry from Paul Nicholls’ yard to run well in defeat was Foxhunter runner-up Wonderful Charm. He might even have beaten stable-companion Pacha du Polder in different circumstances as he only just failed by a neck after being left with too much to do. He’d need to jump the big fences with a bit more conviction than he did when pulled up in last year’s National though.

Gordon Elliott prepped Silver Birch for Aintree with a run in the cross-country chase and he saddled the first two in this year’s race with National entries Cause of Causes and Bless The Wings. The latter was placed for the second year running, though he needs a few to come out to get a run at Aintree and may bid to go one better than last year in the Irish Grand National instead.

Unlike last year, Cause of Causes is high enough in the weights to be guaranteed a National place this time and must have prospects of bettering his eighth place at Aintree two years ago when he had won the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham on his previous start. Galway Plate runner-up Alelchi Inois (Willie Mullins) was the other National entry in the cross-country, though he pulled up looking a non-stayer.

A Festival winner for the third year running, Cause of Causes had won the Kim Muir in 2016 and no fewer than eight horses from the latest renewal of that amateurs’ contest currently hold a National entry. However, most of those will struggle to make the cut at Aintree, though that’s not a worry for the Charlie Longsdon-trained runner-up Pendra who fared much the best of them under top weight at Cheltenham and even looked like winning at one stage. Pendra completed in rear in last year’s National, though has had serious health problems in the meantime (reportedly nearly died from pneumonia in the autumn) and the Kim Muir was his first run since.

The Ultima Handicap Chase was contested by a couple of National entries, with The Young Master finishing sixth behind winner Un Temps Pour Tout and Measureofmydreams thirteenth. Third in the same race twelve months ago before his biggest win in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown, The Young Master is firmly on course for Aintree this time when he’ll once again be ridden by Sam Waley-Cohen who has such a good record over the National fences.

The Young Master’s latest effort in the Ultima was a big improvement on his two previous starts this term, and trainer Neil Mulholland looks to be bringing him to the boil nicely for Aintree. Measureofmydreams (another with an Irish National entry as well) was having only his second start this term for Noel Meade and it’s too soon to be forgetting his third place behind Minella Rocco and Native River in the National Hunt Chase at the 2016 Festival when with Willie Mullins.